Stolen Innocence
by Dawn4
Summary: It's Christmas and almost everyone has families visiting them. One member of the team feels left out and forgotten
1. Hot chocolate and bonding

Stolen Innocence Chapter 1: Hot chocolate and bonding  
  
A/N: I was watching this commercial and got this idea. The story will focus on Grissom and Greg's relationship (friendship not slash) and the whole boss/employee to reluctant to admit father/son. I'm not exactly sure where this is going to go so bare with me. Everyone will be in this eventually. I might start them on a case after a few chapters but it will be in the background. I also know they don't really interact like this but hey, that's why it's called fiction right?  
  
Greg was busy. It seemed everyone in the lab wanted him to run some kind of test and expected the results in ten minutes. He had long since decided to work overtime and get all the samples finished by the time the team would come in the next night. He glanced at his watch and quickly stood. He had to find his boss so he could get permission to work overtime.  
  
"Going home Greg?" Grissom asked the young man as he stepped into his office. Grissom noted how pale and tired his lab tech looked. "Everyone else has already left. They all wanted to get home for Christmas Eve dinner. Did your family come up this year?"  
  
"No," Greg replied. He knew Catherine had gone home early to be with Lindsay, Sara had actually taken a few days off to visit her parents, and both Nick's and Warrick's families had come to Vegas to spend the holiday with them. "No to both actually. I just wanted to know if it was all right if I worked a little overtime. I'd like to finish the samples everyone gave me by the time they come back tomorrow."  
  
"It's Christmas eve Greg," Grissom told the other man. He frowned slightly at the thought of Greg working throughout the holiday. "Nobody will be coming in tomorrow unless they're paged to investigate something. Why didn't your family come up? Or you could have visited them. I would have given you a few days off."  
  
"You didn't answer my question," Greg lamely tried to change the subject but Grissom would have none of it. As much as he hated to admit it, he actually liked the rebellious, loud lab tech and knew something was bothering him. He motioned for Greg to have to seat then glared at the young man until he complied.  
  
"What's wrong Greg?" Grissom sat on the edge of his desk so he could face Greg. He could see the reluctance in his eyes and how he shifted in his chair nervously. Whatever was bothering him, it was complicated. "You've never been eager to work overtime before and usually you're the first one out the door on holidays. What changed?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it," Greg mumbled. He knew Grissom wouldn't let him leave without an answer. His boss hated holes as much as Greg hated all major holidays. They both sat in silence, staring at each other, waiting for the other to speak. "Don't you have family waiting for you? It's Christmas."  
  
"My mother's gotten too old to make the trip to Vegas and I couldn't get a plane ticket out," Grissom replied. He saw the sadness in Greg's eyes but no pity. Grissom was thankful for that. He didn't want to be pitied. "I'm going to call her tomorrow before she leaves for her Christmas dinner at the church. But we're not talking about me. We're talking about why you want to spend Christmas working."  
  
"I told you I don't want to talk about it," Greg sprang up from the chair and fled from the room. Grissom quickly ran after him and followed him all the way to the roof. "Leave me alone. I said I don't want to talk about it. Why can't you understand that?"  
  
"All right Greg, we won't talk about it," Grissom slowly approached the young man. Greg was seated on the roof, knees drawn up to his chest, and tears streaming down his cheeks. Grissom sat down next to him and waited, unsure of what to do. He needed to think of some way to get Greg to get some sleep and get him away from the lab. "You ready to go back inside? I think I seen some hot chocolate in the cupboard."  
  
Greg just nodded and allowed his boss to pull him to his feet. He wiped his eyes with his lab coat sleeves and followed Grissom inside to the break room. He didn't bother to watch Grissom make the two cups of hot chocolate but accepted the one he was offered.  
  
"Thanks," Greg said, his voice hoarse from crying. He blew on the steaming cup of hot chocolate to cool it down before taking a sip. He didn't notice Grissom's slight smile as he quickly downed his drink. Within minutes of finishing his drink, Greg was yawing.  
  
"Tired?" Grissom asked, though he already knew the answer. His mother had taught him how to make a cup of hot chocolate that would actually put someone to sleep. Grissom still drank it some nights when he had trouble sleeping. (A/N: There is really a recipe for this. My mom use to make it for me) "I'll get your coat and drive you home. You can't work overtime if you're about to fall asleep."  
  
"You put something in my drink," Greg accused and frowned at Grissom's guilty face. "If I wasn't so tired right now you'd be sorry."  
  
"You looked exhausted Greg," Grissom said once he came back with his and Greg's coats. He handed Greg and put on his own. "Besides, I couldn't let you work on Christmas when no one else is going to. Unless we get called in, no one is going to need their results until Boxing Day."  
  
"But I should have the results ready for whenever they come in," Greg yawned again but made no fuss when Grissom griped his elbow and lead him to his car. "That way they can start looking for suspects right away instead of waiting for me to finish their results."  
  
"No one's going to come in on Boxing Day and expect you to have everything done," Grissom pointed out. He didn't bother asking Greg his address, as he wasn't planning on taking the lab tech back to his house. "They expect you to be celebrating Christmas with your family and work is no excuse not to do that."  
  
"You sound like a parent scolding their child," Greg mumbled tiredly. He was half asleep, though he was fighting to stay awake. He wasn't sure exactly what Grissom's plans were and was uncomfortable in not knowing where they were headed. "Where are we going?"  
  
"You'll find out,' Grissom glanced over at Greg and smiled slightly when he realized the younger man was already more than halfway asleep. Maybe now he could find out what was bothering him. "So why didn't your family come visit for Christmas Greg?"  
  
"I don't have a family," Greg murmured, too tired to realize what Grissom was doing. "They were killed about ten years ago when our house caught on fire. I was visiting an uncle out of state when the police chief called to tell my uncle to bring me home. Their bodies were so burned that the police had to use dental records to figure out who they were. They were so burned up that I didn't even recognize them."  
  
Grissom pulled into his driveway and shut off his car. He unbuckled and turned so he could face Greg. As soon as he had revealed why he was alone on Christmas, Grissom immediately felt bad for pushing him for an answer. He slipped one of his arms around Greg's shoulders and let him cry himself to sleep.  
  
'Now how am I going to get you inside?' Grissom thought to himself. 'I can probably carry you. You don't look too heavy.' Grissom carefully unwrapped his arm from around Greg and got out of the car. He then went around to the other side and opened the passenger door. He placed one arm under Greg's knees and one under the middle of his back and carefully lifted him out of the seat. He shut the door with his foot. Now he had to figure out how to unlock and open his front door without waking Greg.  
  
He gently laid Greg down on the porch swing and unlocked the door. Then he propped it opened with his umbrella that he always left lying in the hall. He picked up Greg again and carried him straight to the guestroom. He put Greg on the bed and gently freed the blankets from underneath him so he could cover the younger man with them. Then he left him alone to sleep and went to shut and lock the front door.  
  
***The next morning***  
  
Greg slowly opened his eyes and looked around the room. He didn't recognize any of his surroundings and was beginning to get scared. He tried to remember what had happened the night before but the last thing he could think of was going back into the lab with Grissom after he'd run to the roof.  
  
"You're finally awake," Greg looked toward the door and saw his boss leaning against the doorframe. He could smell food, probably Grissom's breakfast, and coffee. "I was beginning to think you were going to sleep all day. I thought maybe I gave you too much hot chocolate."  
  
"Did you drug me?" Greg asked, slightly taken back as he remembered getting into Grissom's car and falling asleep. He didn't remember revealing a bit of his past to his boss though. "How'd I get here? Where is here anyway? Is this your house?"  
  
"Slow down Kiddo," Grissom was surprised at the tender nickname that had slipped through his lips. By the shocked look on Greg's face, so was he. "You fell asleep in the car so I carried you in here and yes this is my house. It's small but it suits me. As for me drugging you, no I didn't. I just gave you some of my mom's special hot chocolate that she used to give to me so that I would go to sleep. It was the only way I could think of to make you get some sleep."  
  
"Did I look that bad?" Greg sighed and got out of the bed. He noticed that he was still in his street clothes. "Thanks for taking care of me. I'll get out of your hair now. Have a Merry Christmas Grissom."  
  
"Greg, your car's still at the lab," Grissom pointed out and Greg turned around to face his boss again. "And you're not 'in my hair' as you put it. Besides, what kind of host would I be if I let you leave without eating a nice breakfast? And yes, there is coffee."  
  
"I don't want to put you through any trouble," Greg protested feebly. He didn't want to leave because then he would spend another Christmas alone but he didn't want to make his boss miss Christmas because of him. "You can't put your Christmas on hold because I was tired last night."  
  
"First of all, breakfast is already made," Grissom lead Greg into the kitchen, where two plates of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast were on the table. The two sat down and began eating. "And as I said last night, my mom wasn't able to make the trip this year so I'm not putting anything on hold. There's no reason for you to feel guilty Greg.  
  
"You're not use to people willing to help you, are you Kiddo?" Grissom asked, not surprised this time when the nickname came from his lips. Greg was, after all, still a kid compared to the rest of the team. There was almost a five-year separation between him and the second youngest of the team. "You have people who are willing to help you now. Nicky alone thinks of you as a younger brother and would be here in a heartbeat if you needed him."  
  
"Don't ruin his Christmas," Greg's eyes snapped up from his plate to meet Grissom's eyes. It took him a moment to realize that Grissom wasn't going to call Nick and he calmed down. "Sorry. I just don't want to ruin everyone's Christmas by having them worry about me. They already see more of me than they see of their families."  
  
"Greg, the team is a family," Grissom told the younger man. "I know that you think you Catherine as a mother figure, Nick and Warrick as older brothers, and Sara as an older sister. I know that Catherine and Nick have both told me that you think of me as a father figure. We all feel the same way about you. You are a part of the team, of the family, so whenever you need us we'll be there to help you, just like last night." 


	2. Running away

Stolen Innocence Chapter 2: Running away  
  
  
  
"Leave them Greg," Grissom told the young man when Greg started to clear the table. Greg looked over at his boss, confusion plastered on his face. "It's Christmas and that means no working. I'll do the dishes tomorrow. Why don't you go into the living room and pick out a movie?"  
  
Greg nodded, still uncomfortable with being at Grissom's house. No matter what his boss said, Greg felt like he was intruding in on Grissom's family time. The moment he could he was going to call a cab and get back to his own place. He didn't want Grissom to feel obligated to keep him company.  
  
"If you need me I'll be in my bedroom," Grissom motioned to which door it was. "It's time for me to call my mother. I shouldn't be too long, as she doesn't like to talk on the telephone for large amounts of time. After I'm finished we can some take-out or something. You slept so late that it's almost suppertime."  
  
Greg waited until Grissom closed his bedroom before he quietly left. He walked along the road until he came to a small store with a payphone. He got the address from a clerk inside and then placed the call. He waited for about ten minutes before a cab pulled up next to him. Greg gave the cabbie his home address then leaned back into the seat and closed his eyes.  
  
The next thing he knew, Greg heard car horns blaring and the sound of metal smashing together. He felt an intense pain in his right leg and then he blacked out.  
  
***A few hours later***  
  
"Hello?" Nick Stokes said his cell phone. He'd just said good- bye to his family, who were now on their way to the airport. Nick wished they could have stayed longer but his father had to work tomorrow as did Nick.  
  
"Is this Nicholas Stokes?" an unfamiliar voice asked. Nick replied that yes it was and waited for the person to continue. "We have you listed as one of the emergency contacts for Gregory Sanders. Can you come to Memorial General hospital to fill out some forms for us?"  
  
"What happened to Greg?" Nick demanded as he grabbed his coat, locked the door, and ran to his car. "Is he all right? How hurt is he? What happened?"  
  
"His doctor will explain everything once you arrive," the voice said before hanging up. Nick cursed and pulled out of his driveway. He knew about Greg's family situation but also knew he usually spent Christmas with the uncle he lived with after his family's deaths. Nick quickly found a parking spot and rushed to the nurses' desk.  
  
"I'm looking for Greg Sanders," Nick told the young nurse. She smiled flirtatiously at him and normally he would have smiled back, but he was worried about Greg. He waited impatiently for the information before taking off to find Greg's hospital room and his doctor.  
  
"Are you Nicholas Stokes?" a doctor asked as Nick was about to enter Greg's room. Nick nodded and waited for the doctor to proceed. "He's a very fortunate young man. A drunk driver hit the cab he was in where the driver was seated. He died instantly. Another car smashed into the cab where Gregory was seated but it was already slowing down so it caused less damage. Gregory's right leg is broken; he has a few cracked ribs, and a laceration on his forehead that required a few stitches to close. None of his injuries are serious so I can release him but only to your care, if you are willing."  
  
"He can stay in my guest room," Nick agreed, really wanting to see his friend. Luckily the doctor left to get the release form and Nick was allowed to see his younger friend. "Hey Greggo. How you feeling? You looked pretty banged up."  
  
"Nick?" Greg looked at the person who'd just come into his room. He closed his eyes and willed the image to go away. He didn't want to ruin his best friend's Christmas and by Nick being here, that's exactly what he was doing. "I'm all right Nick. You should go be with your family."  
  
"They've already left," Nick told him. He looked the kid over quickly and imagined the accident. The doctor was right. Greg had been incredibly lucky. "The doctor's going to release you but you can't be alone so you're going to stay in my guest room until the doctor and you are both comfortable with your living alone again. We'll stop by your place and get some clothes and things for you on the way to my house. Sound good?"  
  
Greg nodded and knew he was defeated. He was relieved though, that he wouldn't have to hobble around on his crutches, trying to cook and clean for himself. He was bound to injure himself further if he did that.  
  
"All right, let's get out of here," Nick said after the doctor came back with the release form and it was signed. Nick steered Greg's wheelchair out to the car and an intern followed with Greg's crutches. "Are you sure you're all right Greg? The doctor told me what happened. It sounds like a pretty bad accident."  
  
"I was almost asleep when it happened so I don't remember much," Greg admitted as Nick turned to enter Greg's driveway. He lived only a few minutes from the hospital.  
  
"Why is Grissom's car in your driveway?" Nick asked as he turned the car off. He got out and quickly went to the other side to help Greg get out. "And why is he sitting on your front steps? He looks angry. I wonder what happened."  
  
Greg just looked to where his boss was seated and watched as Grissom took in the scene before him. His angry expression quickly faded into one of worry and concern yet still held that parental disappointment. Greg knew he was in for a lecture once Grissom found out he was all right. 


	3. Fatherly concern

Stolen Innocence Chapter 3: Fatherly concerns  
  
A/N: Two chapters in one day!!!  
  
"Before anybody starts talking can we go inside?" Greg pleaded and gave his boss a weak smile. Grissom looked the young man over quickly before agreeing and helping Greg up the steps. Nick walked behind Greg so he could catch him, should he fall. "It's getting kind of cold out."  
  
"Nick, why don't you make some hot chocolate?" Grissom told his CSI once Greg was settled on the couch. Nick knew that tone and knew not to mess with is boss when he used that tone so he went to make hot chocolate. After Nick left Grissom turned back to Greg and smiled slightly at Greg's suspicious expression. "It'll be real hot chocolate this time Kiddo. It won't put you to sleep.  
  
"Now what were you thinking, running off like that? When I came out of my room and you were gone I didn't know what to think. I went to the lab because you had been wanting to do work but you weren't there so then I came here. When you weren't here either I really started to worry. You can't just run off like that, especially not on Christmas. I was about to call the cops when I got a call from the hospital. They told me that Nick was bringing you to his house because you had been in an accident. You scared me half to death Kiddo."  
  
"Sorry," Greg said meekly. He saw the lines of worry on his boss' face and felt guilty for causing him to worry. He could also hear Nick rummaging around in his kitchen and knew he had worried Nick too. That just made him feel even guiltier. He felt like he couldn't do anything right anymore.  
  
"Don't do that Kiddo," Grissom scolded gently. Greg looked up at him, confusion written on his face. "Don't blame yourself for this. The doctor told me what happened. He said that a drunk driver caused a pile up. You just happened to be in the wrong place and the wrong time, that's all. This is in no way your fault. And don't you dare say that you're ruining Christmas Greg, because you're not."  
  
"But," Greg began but gave up when Grissom gave him a stern glare. He still felt incredibly guilty that his best friend and his boss were taking care of him and not spending time with or talking to their families. His stomach grumbled and caused Grissom to smile.  
  
"That'll teach you to run away before supper," his boss laughed then took pity upon the lab tech. "What would you like to eat? I don't know what you have in your kitchen but I'm sure Nicky or I could whip up something. What do you say? It's better than going hungry."  
  
"There's a frozen pizza in the fridge," Greg gave his boss a weak smile as Nick came into the living room with a tray of mugs. Greg could see the steam coming out of them and knew it was the hot chocolate. He accepted the one Nick held out to him. "Thanks Nick. Thanks to you too Grissom."  
  
"It's no problem Kiddo," Grissom replied, not noticing Nick's surprised look. Greg did however, and quickly explained while Grissom put the pizza in the oven. He then rejoined the two younger men in the living room. "Now you just have to stop feeling guilty. You're not ruining our Christmas. I'm actually enjoying this."  
  
"So am I," Nick spoke up and Greg smiled. He was enjoying it too. Nick looked over at his best friend, curiosity in his eyes. "What happened to the uncle you usually spend Christmas with Greg? You usually can't wait to get over to his house and open your presents."  
  
"Do you really want to know?" Greg's voice took on a serious tone. His eyes held fear and something else, but Nick couldn't figure out what it was. Whatever it was, it had been shattered. Both Grissom and Nick could see that. 


	4. The truth comes out

Stolen Innocence Chapter 4: The truth comes out  
  
A/N: Finally got the next chapter of this story up. I wrote it instead of studying because I was getting tired of studying.  
  
"Last year after the shift ended I drove the two hours over to my uncle's house," Greg began his story. He kept glancing over at Nick then Grissom, as if he was reassuring himself that they were still there. "He took me in after the fire and when I accepted the job here, he got a transfer too. Any time I had a problem I called him and he'd help me out, usually by just listening. He always greeted me at the door with two cups of hot cocoa and then we'd exchange presents. Last year was different though. The house was dark when I drove up and he wasn't standing by the door. I unlocked the door with a spare key he'd given to me and went in. there was no Christmas decorations, no music, no food cooking, it just felt wrong. I was right.  
  
"I walked around the downstairs, calling his name, but nobody answered me. I went upstairs and tried his bedroom first but no one was there. I still don't know how I figured it out but I knew he was in the room above the garage. That's where he kept everything that he still had of his brother, my father. I went in the room, calling out his name so I wouldn't scare him, but I could have popped out of nowhere and not scared him. He was lying on the floor in a pool of blood, his blood. He had taken his gun, gone up to his memory room and killed himself. The last person I knew from my family was dead and I was just standing there, staring at him.  
  
"I spent the rest of Christmas at the hospital because after I called the paramedics, I passed out. One minute I was freaking out to the dispatch lady, the next I was waking up in the hospital. I found out a few days later that he left me everything, including a pretty good sum of money he'd made in the stock market. I gave it all to the suicide prevention help line. I didn't want his money or his things because I felt guilty. I thought it was my fault, that I didn't visit or call him enough, that I made him feel neglected and unloved."  
  
"It wasn't your fault Kiddo," Grissom soothed the kid, who was on the verge of hysteria. Greg's breaths were coming out in rapid gasps, in between of the sobs that shook his entire frame. Grissom and Nick could tell how much his uncle's suicide had shattered the young man and couldn't believe that he'd managed to keep it hidden for an entire year. "Nicky, check the pizza and see if he has any sleeping pills. That might be the only way we can get him to calm down."  
  
Nick nodded and ran to Greg's bathroom. He found a package of sleeping pills and ran back to the living room. He gave the pills to Grissom then went to check the pizza. Grissom had the more difficult task of getting Greg to take one of the pills. Luckily, Greg wasn't thinking too clearly and took the pill without protest.  
  
"The pizza's finished," Nick said as he came back into the room. Grissom nodded and helped Greg, who was almost asleep from a combination of exhaustion and the pill, into a more comfortable position. The lab tech was asleep within a few minutes.  
  
"We'll save the pizza until he wakes up," Grissom told Nick, who agreed. Grissom stroked Greg's hair while the young man slept. He wanted to protect Greg from his terrible memories. "The poor kid. I can't believe all that he's been through already. Losing his family must have been hard enough but then to lose his uncle, the man who raised him after his family's deaths. It's so much so fast."  
  
"He'll be all right Griss," Nick noted the tenderness that his boss was stroking Greg's hair with and smiled. "He's a strong kid. He'll be just fine as long as we don't let him forget that he's not alone." 


	5. The next morning

Stolen Innocence Chapter 5: The next morning  
  
A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this up. I have an exam in the morning and decided to take a break from studying. I have a week off after my exam tomorrow so I can update more often. Oh, and for future reference, exams on Saturday morning at nine am suck!!!  
  
"You look exhausted Nicky," Grissom told the younger man, who was still seated on the floor next to the couch. Greg had fallen asleep almost three hours before yet Nick had yet to move from his side. "Why don't you crash in Greg's guestroom. I'll watch over him. He'll be fine."  
  
Nick began to protest but halfway through his argument he yawned. Grissom just smiled and motioned him in the direction of the guestroom, promising to wake him should he get tired. Once Nick had disappeared into the room and Grissom was certain he wouldn't reappear, he began to relax. He had thought that Nick was going to start panicking when he had ordered him to fetch the sleeping pills.  
  
Grissom glanced over at Greg's sleeping form and wondered how the younger man was going to handle going to work the next evening. He had been planning on getting Greg into the field more, starting with tomorrow's shift, but now thought better of it. He didn't want to add even more pressure on the lab tech, as it was obvious he was under too much already.  
  
Another question plaguing Grissom's mind was whether or not he should tell the other members of the team. He knew he should ask Greg's permission before telling the others but what if Greg broke down and Nick or himself weren't there? The others wouldn't know what was wrong or how to help him. He'd have to talk to Nick and see what he thought. Nick knew Greg better than anyone else on the team; he'd know the right thing to do.  
  
After a few hours Grissom went to the guestroom and woke Nick. Nick woke and took his place in the living room while Grissom got some sleep.  
  
***Morning***  
  
Greg awoke slowly and disoriented. He was in his home but instead of waking up in his bed, like usual, he was on the couch in his living room. He heard a noise of to his right and looked up to see Nick sitting in his chair. Everything about last night came back to him and Greg quickly averted his gaze from his friend.  
  
"You hungry?" Nick asked his friend, hoping Greg would answer. He didn't want to give the young man an opportunity to retreat back into his shell of loneliness and the only way Nick could think of to stop him was by keeping him distracted. "Grissom's taking a shower but he should be out soon. What do you want to eat? We can go out and get something somewhere if you'd like. We can go to that place you like, the one that serves chocolate chip pancakes."  
  
"You buying?" Greg managed a half-grin for his friend. He silently admitted defeat, as he knew Grissom and Nick would not let him be after witnessing his breakdown the night before. "I'm going to get changed into something clean. I'll be back in a few minutes."  
  
"Morning Greg," Grissom told the lab tech as they passed each other in the hall. The CSI night supervisor continued into the living room where Nick filled him in on the plans for the morning. "Sounds good. We don't have that long before shift starts anyway. We all slept in pretty late."  
  
"How do you think he'll handle work?" Nick asked in a low voice so Greg wouldn't overhear. "Are you still planning on putting him in the field tonight? That may not be such a bad idea. He gets the training he needs and we can keep an eye on him at all times."  
  
"Good idea," Grissom grinned at his CSI. Now the only problem was how would they tell Greg he was going into the field without letting him know they were keeping an eye on him. 


	6. Pancakes and murder

Stolen Innocence  
  
A/N: I'm finally posting the next chapter. Yeah for me!!!  
  
  
  
"These pancakes aren't that bad," Grissom admitted reluctantly. He'd been cajoled by Greg and Nick into having the house special of chocolate chip pancakes though he had simply wanted plain buttermilk ones. He hated to admit it, but he was enjoying the chocolate chip pancakes more than he usually enjoyed his buttermilk ones. "Greg, I need to talk to you about something the rest of the team has been talking about for some time now. You're not in trouble so don't get nervous or anything, all right?"  
  
"All right," Greg agreed though he was clearly nervous. When the boss wants to talk about something serious it's usually never good. Greg drank the rest of his milk before settling in his seat and waited for Grissom to continue.  
  
"Now I know you won't be able to do much with your broken leg," Grissom began and tried not to wince when Greg's face fell momentarily. "By all rights you shouldn't even be going to work today. I've decided that today would be a good day to start your training. I've discussed it with the others before and they all agree that you'd be great. You'll only be able to observe and through in your opinion until your leg heals but it would still be valuable training. What do you say? Will you join my team and be my newest CSI?"  
  
"You mean it?" Greg grinned and his face lit up. Nick and Grissom smiled at his enthusiasm before Grissom motioned for the waitress to bring the check. He paid and the three men left for what would be an exciting night of work.  
  
Once they got to the lab, Warrick, Catherine, and Sara were told that Greg would be joining them as a CSI and congratulated him. They didn't have to wait long before a few cases rolled their way and Grissom went about assigning everyone.  
  
"Sara, Catherine, you two take the DB found in the Monaco hotel, room 419," Grissom handed Catherine a sheet with the basics. O'Rilley would meet them there. "Warrick, you take over the cases we had before Christmas. See if Vincent's finished running the blood. Nick, Greg, you'll be with me on the DB found in the park. Good luck everyone."  
  
***At the park***  
  
"I want you to be careful Kiddo," Grissom warned Greg as he was getting out of the Tahoe. He was always nervous about bringing a new CSI, especially one with a broken leg, out into the field, but this was Greg and Grissom was pretty sure he could handle it. "The ground's slippery because it rained two nights ago."  
  
"I'll be all right," Greg told him but Grissom could hear the nerves in his voice. He chuckled softly as he remembered his first time in the field and how scared he was. But he had to remember this wasn't Greg's first time, though he didn't take his first time too well, he'd at least seen some of what they do.  
  
"The victim's name is Molly Henderson, daughter of Mr. William and Mrs. Camille Henderson of the Henderson estates," Brass told them. If he was surprised to see Greg out on the field, wearing a CSI windbreaker he didn't show it. He did however, show surprise when he noticed that Greg was on crutches. "Sanders, what did you do to your leg?"  
  
"Back to the case Jim," Grissom reminded the captain. Any other time he would have let Greg explain but they were swamped with cases and needed to gather the evidence before it was compromised.  
  
"Right," Brass ducked his head, slightly embarrassed to have been reminded he was only there on business. "Victim was twenty-two years old. She was stabbed several times in the stomach area and it appears that her left wrist is broken, judging from the angle it's at. Her clothes are also torn and her skirt is bunched up so rape is a possibility."  
  
Grissom nodded then looked at Greg to see how he was doing. The kid was doing fine, no paleness to the face, no sick look on his face except for a small look of disgust when Brass mentioned rape. Grissom remembered Nick saying something about Greg's sister having been raped once and that's why he sometimes got a little emotional while processing possible rape victims.  
  
"Just watch for today, all right?" Grissom told the younger man who nodded back gratefully. It was hard for him as he was probably imagining his sister lying there instead of the victim. Grissom began processing her, explaining everything he did to Greg. The training had officially begun. 


End file.
